The Realities of Realty

Our house has been on the market for about six weeks.  This whole adventure began in the late summer when three homes on our street were listed and sold within a month. While the rest of the country is in a real estate slump, Indianapolis has somehow been less affected.  Low interest mortgage rates also helped our decision; it is a great time to buy with housing prices offering plenty of bargains.  When a house in our favorite neighborhood practically fell in our lap, it just all seemed meant to be.  This house was not only all we wanted in size, style and location, it also happened to be next door to Danny's best friend and we made an offer before it was even offically listed.  Again, it all seemed like fate as the offer was accepted immediately. 

We set to work cleaning up our house in preparation for sale.  We spent hours and hours, days and days, cleaning and decluttering.   The basement, which had been Sam's boy cave, was transformed to an organized space with exercise equipment tucked into one corner, futon situated by the "entertainment area" and Bob's guitars and music stand placed strategically into another corner.  Sam's trains were placed into bins and he had to cut down from two train tables to one.  We all have to make sacrifices!   Every room in the house was cleaned and staged to accentuate the positive.  Wicker chest (great place to put our shoes!), once located in the foyer, was whisked away, replaced by an accent table and vase of fresh flowers.  Lumpy, but oh so comfortable, oversized chair was relocated from the family room to the basement.  Personal photos were boxed up; apparently family photos can detract from selling as potential buyers might not be able to imagine themselves in your house if they see your wedding photo hanging over the bed.  It's all a game but we are willing to play.

We set the price, crossed our fingers, and boarded the roller coaster.  And that is exactly what it has been.  The first weekend we had two showings.  I imagined immediate offers and wondered what we would do if we needed to close on this home before our new one was vacant.  Thoughts of temporary living in an apartment, most of our things in storage...reality.  No immediate offers, and six weeks later, no offers at all.  We've had nine showings.  Nine times we left the house so that someone could invade it, open up cabinets, critique our taste in decor, and eat the  Hershey kisses left on the kitchen counter with sales flyers.  And nine times we got seller's feedback, sometimes positive (they loved the location), and sometimes negative (foyer too small, kitchen cabinets insufficient, carpet a bit worn).   The last showing was on Sunday night at 8 pm.  Terribly inconvenient but you never say no to a potential buyer.  We piled in the van at 8 and headed to a McDonalds to sit and watch the Colts game (thank goodness for high end McDonalds with flat screen tv's).  We returned to the neighborhood at 9 and saw that there were two cars in the driveway.  We parked down the street, doing surveillance on our own house.  Our hopes were high as we saw the realtor and young couple come out of the house and stand in the driveway chatting.  Finally they left and we rushed Sam off to bed and hoped for an offer the next day.  Should have known better.  Their feedback included such charming comments as our kitchen was awkward, master walk-in closet too small, and basement carpet should be replaced.  I was irrationally furious.  If you are going to ask for a late Sunday evening showing, and extend it past an hour by standing in our driveway a few extra minutes shooting the breeze, you NEED TO BUY MY HOUSE!!!!  We are at the mercy of a market glutted with homes.  It is like playing the lottery and wondering when, and if, your numbers will come up.  It is enough to keep me up at night and has me watching shows on the HGTV channel called "Sell My House" and "House Hunters" for tips.  I can't remember what life was like before this all began, but I miss that simplicity and just want this all to be overwith. 

But hope springs eternal for the next showing and I have become a domestic goddess, albeit a cranky one.  Every morning I make the beds, open the blinds just enough to show off the great views out our back windows (but not so much that you can see the dirt that won't come clean between the window panes), and wipe down the counters.  I am sure many people clean like this regularly even when their house is not on the market, but I am not one of those people.  I sweep, I mop, I wipe down baseboards.  I prune the mums, fluff the pillows, keep our linen closets as neat as Marth Stewart's.  It is exhausting. 

I hope one day (soon!!!), we will get that happy phone call from our realtor that we have an offer.  I think I will dance in my (immaculate) kitchen and kiss my cats.  I will then be able to finally get excited about the new house.  This house we are selling has served us well but it is time to move on.   The new house has a big yard and a three car garage, and big bedrooms for the boys that will hold more than just a bed and dresser.  And Danny has many friends living up and down the street.  We'll be able to go to the neighborhood pool in the summer and enjoy the tennis court.  We will spend time preparing Sam for the move and I think he will actually be really excited about the new house.  The basement has two big rooms; he can have one all to himself for his trains and games.  We will let him choose his bedroom, and maybe the color of its walls.  Bob and I will sit on the screened porch during thunderstorms and look back on this crazy time and laugh, or at the very least give a huge sigh of relief that it is over.